©Julie Limont pour la Fondation Bettencourt Schueller ©
Portrait
The Méru Museum of Mother-of-Pearl and Inlay Work was established with the aim of preserving and passing on a heritage of craftsmanship and technical skills that has been continuously practised in the south-west of the Oise region since the 16th century. Over time, this industry has given rise to rare skills in working with bone, horn, ivory, wood, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl, which have had a lasting impact on the local identity. Faced with the decline of this industry in the second half of the 20th century, a major preservation campaign was launched in the 1970s to safeguard machinery, tools, archives and testimonies. Housed since 1999 in the Fessart-Dégremont factory, built in 1859, the museum continues this mission by making conservation a living practice. The collections are complemented by demonstrations, workshops and the passing on of traditional techniques, affirming that this heritage lies as much in the objects themselves as in the skills that give them meaning.
"Beyond raising the profile of a region and the skills associated with it, the aim is to highlight the universality and enduring nature of these materials, which it is important to promote and pass on."
A veritable repository of traditional skills, the workshop at the Musée de la Nacre et de la Tabletterie is the place where an essentially intangible heritage takes tangible form: that of the skills, techniques and knowledge specific to the craft of tabletier. Established when the museum first opened, thanks to the direct guidance of former professionals, the workshop team carries on practices inherited over several centuries by producing the iconic pieces of tabletterie, whilst also developing creative and restoration work. Each piece requires in-depth knowledge of the materials – mother-of-pearl, bone, horn, wood and ebony – as well as historic tools and machinery, the use of which continues to be passed on within the museum. This daily practice makes the workshop a space for research, experimentation and learning, where skills are not merely preserved but continually tested, enriched and passed on.
Lauréat de la récompense Parcours du Prix Liliane Bettencourt pour l'Intelligence de la Main® 2025
